Far as I'm concerned there is no substitute for a 'standard' size spare. Manufacturers can try all of the gimmicks such as no spare with a can of sealant instead, but this only works for a certain type of puncture. Space saver wheels are ridiculous, as imagine being caught late at night 100+ miles from home with a spare that wasn't safe at over 50 mph. Finally, to have a pop at run-flat tyres, still no good as they destroy the ride that a previously good car could have had.
I say ban em all !

Err such a good idea, my Porsche together with quite a few cars runs differnt size wheels & tyres front & back. SO which size do I carry then? Mine runs a collapsed spare which is inflated by a small compressor which is part of the toolkit.

If the space saver was supplied by the car maufacturer with the car, with instructions and restrictions for use, ie maximum speed/distance limits, then it is legal to use it.I fail to see how it can be otherwise. The car will not pass an MOT test with it, however.

The only reason an MOT tester will look in the boot is to test for structural or other damage after, for instance, a road accident.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by

Yes, you're right. The spare isn't part of the MOT - you don't have to have one in the car. However, a space saver in use on the car at the time of MOT will fail.

So, it's a legal oddity why these are apparently OK for use but fail MOTs.

My car (Vauxhall) is one of those that has a 16" alloys with 50 series tyres. The spare is a 15" steel wheel with a 'normal' 65 series tyre, that has the same overall diameter as the 'normal' tyres. Caution advised, but no mileage limit. At least it's better than run flats or skinny spacesavers. I'd hate that.

Run flats - limited use and buy a new tyre for a small puncture. Skinny space savers. Limited use, and potentially dodgy handling. Both ideal when it's midnight and you're 100's of miles from home , I don't think.

>>How many of us know if our spare is the same size as the road wheels?

Me.

I'm not absolutely certain that space savers are legal for getting you home... I was vaguely under the impression that they are legal for getting you to the nearest tyre centre only. There was a tale on here recently of somebody being prosecuted for going shopping on one.

Do not exceed 50mph (80kph).
Drive the shortest possible distance.
Do not fit more than one spare wheel on your car at any one time.
Do not use snow chains on this type of wheel.
Vehicles with TCS/ESP may exhibit some unusual driving characteristics which can be avoided by switching the system off. (I wish I'd read that earlier ~ I found out the hard way!)
Drive cautiously and replace the temporary spare tyre as soon as possible.
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L\'escargot.

Space savers should be used for the minimum amount of journey to allow you to get the puncture fixed. If you get a puncture at midnight you will not be prosecuted for driving home, but once home your next journey should be to the tyre fitters. Extended use is not permitted.

My A2 had a collapsible spare which was a real piece of rubber origami! It folded in on itself so when it was deflated the tyre was only an inch or so think, when inflated the side walls were like a concertina and increased in profile as air was pumped in - v clever, but very expensive!

There's a big move on this side of the world to get manufacturers NOT to use space savers/goo etc.
The reason is due to the distances travelled, and the manner of our roads.
For example, I did a 900km round-trip over the weekend, up the N1 from Cape Town.
This road is a 'standard' road for much of its length - ie, two lanes, no central island, and with a hard shoulder either side.
During the 450ks, I pass through only about 4 places which MIGHT offer tyre repair facilities during the day.
(Over weekends, and at night, you are stuffed, unless you want to pay $$$ to rouse somebody from his kip, and HOPE he has a tyre to fit your car)
Now, add to that there are stretches of 60-70 miles between civilisation, and there are articulated trucks bowling along at 120km/h, cars doing considerably more, and only one lane to drive on, you definitely DON'T wont to be tootling along at your tyre-limited 80km/h, especially at night.

I had enough trouble finding someone to repair my puncture on Sunday morning (only one place out of 6 I phoned were open in my area. As it was I had to travel nearly 13 miles to reach them), let alone trying to find someone who is 24/7.

Regarding where to get your tyres changed at weird hours, I realised I had a flat tyre when I arrived home a couple of years ago and considered it the end of the world (woman driver, know nothing about cars, can't change a tyre!). I phoned the AA and they had a tyre changing service where they came out and gave me (or sold me rather!)a new tyre & fitted it while I watched Eastenders. I think it cost approx £40 and I got a warranty and everything! The AA man had a really funky van - like the tardis! I don't know if they still do this?

And even if there were any, would they have your particular tyre in stock? I've twice needed replacement runflat tyres, an 18" one on an E90 and a 17" for my current E61 (both times casused by nails in the tread), and on each occasion none of the local depots had any in stock. It actually took the best part of a week to get the Michelin for the 330, and next day for the 535d...

As a result, I'm in the process of switching to non-runflats and buying a spare wheel - just waiting for the right one to come up on Ebay. The madness is, the boot of the E61 has space for a full size spare (just about) if you remove the storage tray under the boot floor!!! And then I'll have a spare, the tyres will be 2/3 of the price and the ride will be improved ;-)

peter, I think you've hit on an important point... The madness is, the boot of the E61 has space for a full size spare (just about) if you remove the storage tray under the boot floor!!!
Most cars fitted with space-savers have (in my experience) a well deep enough for a full-sizer, with just a little protuding from the top.
Space saver? Money saver, more like it ...
Oh, and ever tried to inflate one of those little biscuits with a standard filling station air hose?

A full size spare in my Focus sticks up 2" above the boot floor. With an optional full size spare you get a piece of coarse foam 2" thick which surrounds the spare so as to give a flat surface. The space-saver spare is a space-saver.
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L\'escargot.

I much prefer a proper spare for all the reasons stated. However, the one exception was when we moved from a 1979 SAAB 900 with the large wheel located upright on the left of the boot, to a 1986 SAAB 900 with a space-saver placed under the boot floor. The extra space in what was alreday a large boot was amazing. As we had young children with all the cots and long prams etc, the extra room was terrific. I did get a puncture in France and used the unused spare for the first time to drive 5 miles to the nearest tyre shop. It was like driving on a solid tyre. OK for a short run, but 50 mph was tops in my view, and we could never have got home without a proper repair.

The current Mondeo's have a space saver as standard, with a full size spare available for an additional £50.

Knowing the Mondeo was avaialble with full size spare, I'm probably in the minority here in deciding to take the space saver. Not because the boot space is slightly bigger but because I have a company vehicle and know how it works when you need a new tyre...

... many times before the lease company will try to swap tyres so the spare comes into use (e.g. you have a puncture) meaning the tyres on the same axle could have quite different tread depths and even patterns. With a space saver this gives them no option but to replace tyres and if tread low I've normally gotten a replacement of the other tyre on safety grounds.

Also, being a company car I've probably got more chance of getting a mobile unit to the vehicle (without cost to me) to replace the tyre anyway.

Just IMO,they must be illegal as even though they are only emergency wheels,they must also destabilise the car whatever axle they are fitted to and may well be more of a danger than most realise,I cannot say I would trust running one myself and would rather buy a standard wheel to replace spacesaver.

I have seen comments on other forums that mention (car failed MOT due to wrong wheel size fitted on same axle)ie spacesaver,surely these people must know they are emergency only?
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Steve

Apparently they're technically illegal as they're not specifically mentioned in the relevant law as a permissible type of lighting. Same applies to things like flashing hazard lights on emergency braking, LED rear lights, fog lights used as cornering lights etc.
These are all EU type approved and euro law over-rides ours.

It's a bone of contention with Xenon's because you can't gain EU approval on something that's retrofitted so aftermarket Xenons might be completley illegal. (Some people disagree on this point).

Unless UK law about having tyres all the same size and correct pressure has been amended to cope with space savers and run-flat tyres (it might have been - I don't know) then they would be technically illegal under UK law, but you're immune from prosectution because of the EU type approval.